Process of converting and smelting precious ores



T N OFFICE.

CHARLES M. ALLEN, on BUTTE, MONTANA.-

PROCESS OF CONVERTINGANDSMELTING pnaclous ORES.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 519,217, dated May 1,1894. l

Application filed April 18, 1893- Seria1No.4'70,826. (No specimens.)

To all whom it may concern..-

l 3eit known that I, CHARLES M. ALLEN,a c tizen of the United States,residing at Butte city, Montana, have invented certain new and I usefulImprovements in Processes of Converting and Smelting Precious Ores,ofwhich the followingis a specification. I

My Invention .relates particnlarly to the converting and smelting ofgold, silver, and

precious ores which require high degrees of temperature to reduce to amolten condition, and has for its object the providing of a simple,economical and efficient processfor convert ng and smelting preciousmetals in a continuous operation.

To this end it consists, in first reducing the raw material toamoltencondition in a suitable converter, by subjecting it toari'intense heat and blast of air, then changing the position of themolten material in the converter so as to remove it from the action ofthe air, drawing off adesired quantity of such molten maternal of thegravity desired, changing the remain ng molten material backto itsoriginal posltion and adding a sufficient quantity of new material,subjecting such mixture to The the direct action of a blast of wholemixture has again been reduced to a molten condition, again changing theposition of the molten material and removing it from the action of theblast of air and drawing off the quantity of molten metal desired.

In carrying out my process I prefer to use a converter having the usualconverting or smelting chamber, andwhich may or may-not be provided withwater jackets as desired. converter should be mounted on hollowtrunnions and have its upper open end en terlng a dust chamberwhich hasproper commumcationor connection with a smoke stack. Through one of thehollow trunnions should be introduced a blast pipe through which a 3blast or current of air can be conveyed in and through a continuation ofthe same, leadmg suchblas't or current of air to the lower air until theend of the converter which is provided with a set of tuyeres enteringthe converting chamber for the purpose of subjecting the molten metal tothe action of the air and raising its temperature to such a point asWill melt any raw material that is added, the tuyeres being so arrangedthat when the position of converter is changed'they are raised abovethesurface of any molten material that may be contained in theconverting chamber, so that such molten material is not subjected to acurrent or blast of air sothat its temperature is further raised, butwhich allows such current of air to pass over such surface of moltenmaterial and out through the opposite end ofthe converter. The convertershould have a suitable tap through which the desired quantity of themolten metal can be drawn ofi.

In using my process I prefer to have my converter in its originalupright vertical position and build a fire therein subjecting the sameto a blast of air to raise the temperature and obtain the intense heatnecessary to re- I duce the gold, silver, or other precious metals to amolten condition. I then add the desired quantity of precious ores to bemelted to such converter and thoroughly melt the mixture. The converteris then tipped or its position changedso that the molten mass is removedfrom the action of the blast of air and allowed to cool to the desiredtemperature, so that the quantity of the molten metal of the gravitydesired, may be drawn oft through a suitable tap. The converter is thenchanged back to its original position, new raw material added and themixture subjected to the action of a blast of air until it has beensufficiently melted when it is again removed from the action of theblast of air and such quantity of the molten material drawn oh as may bedesired. These successive casts, addition of raw material and blasts arerepeated as often as may be desired, all from the first initialmeltingof the material and do not require the starting of anew fire orthe addition of molten material to continue the same,but providing onecontinuous process for the smelting or converting of precious ores. Itwill be understood that it is expected that there is sufiicient sulphurin the ores treated to supply the requisite amount of fuel for theirmelting after the first charge hasbeen ignited. I claim- The process ofsmelting and converting precious metals, which consists in supplying rawmaterial to material in a converter a1- ready in a molteneondition,subjecting the then restoring the remaining portion to its oldand new material to the action of a blast original position to receiveadditional raw of air until a desired quantity is in a molten condition,changing the position of the molten material in the converter to removeit from the action of the blast of air, drawing off a desired quantityof the molten material, and

material, substantially as described.

CHARLES M. ALLEN. Witnesses:

THOMAS A. BANNING, SAMUE E. HIBBEN.

